Do you play digital games? If not, are you sure?
Adults do not consider gaming to be a particularly valuable hobby. Nevertheless, games are much more common than one might imagine.
Research shows that one-half of all Finns, including the adult population, play digital games on computers, consoles and mobile phones. Online games in particular are often not even considered to be computer games.
- Gaming is often considered to involve adventures in fantasy castles or battles on digital war fields. Still, many people may spend hours on end playing tiny games on the Internet. An online card game is considered to be equivalent to solitaire, not a computer game, says Jaakko Suominen, Professor of Digital Culture.
Gaming still suffers from the image of it being a waste of time. This is changing, however, as the gaming industry has turned into the fastest growing sector of entertainment. Its economic weight is already equal to that of the movie industry.
- The gaming world now entertains millions of people from infant to grandparent. However, it is difficult to get an overall picture of the role that games play in society and culture, adds Suominen.
Gaming is creative use of technology
Finland's research centres for digital culture have launched a research project called Creation of Game Cultures: The Case of Finland.
- In the information society, gaming has, at times, been used as a paragon of the creative use of technology. On the other hand, people fully absorbed in games have been cited as the archetypes of isolation and alienation. Especially games with violent content have drawn the attention of critics, says Suominen, who coordinates the project at the University of Turku.
The study focuses on the interaction between players, game production and game use. Instead of making generalisations about games and players, the research project wants to create a richer image of games as a form of interactive media, which has different kinds of audiences and forms of use.
Gaming is not restricted to one gender or age group. Suominen hopes to bring out different kinds of player categories, such as older people and women.
- People often think that digital games are only played by young boys. Although this stereotype often holds, it is not the whole truth. The role of young boys may be emphasised because they are active and consider games to be a hobby.
Physicality and retro styles are current gaming trends
According to Suominen, tools that enable physical participation are the current trend in digital games. New game types have freed players from merely sitting in front of the screen. For example, they can now swing a virtual tennis racquet by moving the remote control.
- New playing styles have also made the gaming population more versatile. The Nintendo Wii console or Guitar Hero games, for example, has expanded the group by offering games suitable for all ages. With more and more people playing games, the phenomenon becomes less mystic.
Digital gaming has been around for decades. Another trend is "retrogaming", which is based on reminiscences of old game experiences and the collection and use of old games and consoles. In fact, game houses are re-launching old hit games and consoles.
According to Suominen, the increase in digital gaming has not undermined the popularity of traditional games. The interest in every type of playing has increased.
- The explosive popularity of online poker has increased the interest in card games, and the same phenomenon is now affecting traditional board games.
Text: Tuomas Koivula
Illustration: Samuli Keskinen